Georgetown University Faculty Judith Muhlberg & Bruce Harrison

Class #3January 23, 2014

1/23/2014Georgetown University Corporate

Crisis Communication 1

Pfizer (Bhumika Shah) Walmart (Elleni Almondrez) Lockheed Martin (Annie Lorenzana) Volkswagon (Ana Maria Garzon) Chevron (Catie Weckenman) Mondelez (Andrea Garner) Pepsico (Emma Waldman) AT&T (Kaitlin Luna) Ford Motor Company (Gboyinde

Onijala) IBM (Erin Wiegert)

1/23/2014Georgetown University Corporate

Crisis Communication 2

Verizon (Melissa Wertz) Hewlett-Packard (Sarah Heffern) General Motors (Slgi Choi) Apple (Emily Morin) Berkshire Hathaway (Olivia Petersen) Exxon Mobil (Brooke Cockrell) Procter & Gamble (Austin Hansen) Honeywell (Ritiksha (Tiki) Lobo J.C. Penny (Katie Spencer) Navistar (Jill Westeyn) Starbucks (Yogita Malik)

1/23/2014Georgetown University Corporate

Crisis Communication 3

Microsoft (Tatiana Daniel) General Electric (Krystyna Barnard) Johnson & Johnson (Hayley Kropog) Carnival Cruise Lines (Sara

Schuttloffel)

1/23/2014Georgetown University Corporate

Crisis Communication 4

Anatomy of CorporateCrisisCondition COOL HOT

Routine xRumblings x

Disruption Event X!

Escalation X

Reaction X

Response X

Climax X

Resolution X

Aftermath x

Repositioning ?

1/10/13Georgetown University Corporate Crisis Communication 7

1/23/2014Georgetown University Corporate

Crisis Communication 5

1. Who is the ‘victim’ and who is the ‘villain’?2. Is the company taking the initiative? Is it on offense?3. Is the company trying to change the focus? Change

the debate? Rally its base? 4. What is the company’s main message? Or defense?5. Is the company wrapping its argument in a

principle? Security, Safety, Privacy, Choice, Justice, Economy…?

6. Has the company apologized? If so, did that help?7. What will be the outcome? Will there be life after the

crisis? Will the torpedoed ship survive? 8. Communication recommendations? What do you

suggest for the company in the post-climax period?

6Georgetown University Corporate

Crisis Communication 1/23/2014

1/23/2014Georgetown University Corporate

Crisis Communication 7

Develop your team definition of a corporate crisis

Select a white board and write your definition

Choose a spokesperson for your team to present the team definition

In 20 minutes, we will reconvene as a class to develop our class definition of a corporate crisis

1/23/2014Georgetown University Corporate

Crisis Communication 8

Thought-starters…consider working into the definition words or elements such as these: •Disruption•Surprise•Threat•Business•Stakeholders•Sustainability•Reputation 

• Begin with this: • A corporate crisis

is an event or condition that…

[And, remember, the communications focus is always on stakeholders]

1/23/2014Georgetown University Corporate

Crisis Communication 9

March 29, 2012Georgetown University Crisis

Communication 10

Former SVP – Corporate Communications and Public Affairs, Kraft Foods, Inc., Kraft Foods Foundation (Led corporate communications, community involvement and global public policy at Kraft for 7 years)

Has dedicated significant efforts to fighting hunger, promoting healthy lifestyles, advocating investment in sustainable agriculture

Author, Get Ahead by Going Abroad Prior: Unilever, NA and 15 years on agency side 1990-2000: worked in Singapore, Russia and the UK.

Principal, Mission Measurement CEO, Perry Yeatman Global Partners LLC